Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Pillowcase Dress-up!

We are back from our much-needed break with a really quick and fun project for you! While trolling the thrift store, we came upon a plain brown pillowcase. With visions of a tote bag dancing in our head, we happily purchased it (originally priced at .99 but we got it for 25% off that!). But when we got it home we realized it was a pillowcase for an extra-long pillow. Definitely not the right size for a tote bag...more like a duffel bag! Not to be discouraged, we put on our thinking caps and came up with the idea to turn a blah, long pillowcase into a cute, just-below-the knee strapless dress (who says pillowcases are just for skirts?)! And it took almost no time at all to create!

What You Need:

Long pillowcase

elastic

scissors

sewing machine (or needle & thread)

First, lay out your pillowcase. You might want to iron it, but we were too excited (not to mention impatient) by the idea of this to pull out the iron. Then cut off the sealed base of your pillowcase.Next, fold your cut edge and pin it , making sure it is wide enough to fit your elastic to fit through. To avoid fraying, you might want to fold it over twice so the raw edge isn't exposed.Once it is pinned all the way around, sew it up to make your casing. However, be sure not to sew it up all the way around - leave a small opening so you can insert your elastic.Measure your elastic by wrapping it around under your armpits (or where you want the finished top of your dress to sit) and then cut it a few inches shorter. This will insure a snug fit. No one wants a dress dress that will fall around your ankles! Then attach a safety pin to your elastic and work it through the casing.

Once it is inside, stitch the two ends of the elastic together. The sew up the hole in your casing.Now try on your dress! It will probably look like a sack, so tie a cute ribbon or cinch it with a belt to give it more interest and shape.From boring pillowcase to cutie dress in no time flat!

About Us

We are Rebecca, Maggie, & Jill - busy women just like you who run after our active kids, try to clean the house once in a while, and manage to throw dinner together (even if it's just a bag of frozen chicken nuggets). But when we get the chance, we enjoy a good project. Something that entertains the kids, saves us a little money, is good for the earth, and even makes us feel pretty. And we want to share these ideas with you!
Enjoy!